Oscillating tool drywall blade

ABSTRACT

An oscillating blade for cutting or shaping sheet materials such as drywall, with a blade, a sharing portion, a depth gauge for determining depth of cut, a caliper portion for premarking sheet materials for a standard dimension cut, and a reverse direction blade.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.16/515,814, filed Jul. 18, 2019, which is a continuation of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 15/887,570, filed Feb. 2, 2018, the disclosures ofwhich are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to oscillating tool blades, andmore specifically to oscillating tool blades with blade features andmeasuring devices for accurately cutting and shaping sheet goods such asdrywall.

Oscillating tools are hand-held, electrically or pneumatically powered,devices that transfer torque to an oscillating blade mounted on thetool. Oscillating blades are manufactured with various types of cuttingedges to cut, abrade, or shape materials. Oscillating blades have alsobeen manufactured with shanks that are bent to enable a cutting edge tobe brought into contact with material at a desired angle.

Typically, oscillating blades have a single cutting edge intended toperform a specific task on a specific material. The cutting edges may beknife edge, saw teeth, or abrasive material. Blades are easily changedby a quick-connecting mount on the oscillating tool, so that any numberof tasks can be performed using the oscillating tool by simply changingblades.

Drywall, cement board, gypsum board, and other types of sheet goods,including fiber board, particle board, and plywood (collectivelyreferred to herein as “drywall”) can be cut using oscillating blades, aswell as by various other tools. Knives, routers, saws (both hand andpowered) can be used for cutting sheets down to size or to make plungecuts to create openings away from the edges of the board for access toelectrical junction/gang boxes, plumbing, and structural features, forexample.

Cutting openings in drywall for access to electrical junction/gang boxesrequires precision because drywall openings that do not closely matchthe location or size of the junction/gang box require costly repairs orwasted materials. Various power tools have been developed to simplifythe task. For example, a sheet of drywall installed on a wall willcompletely cover a junction/gang box, but by knowing the generallocation of the box, an installer can use a drywall router with a bithaving an edge guide bearing against the junction/gang box to route anopening that closely matches the junction/gang box. A similar processcan be done by hand.

One downside of this router process is that junction/gang boxestypically already contain wires or other sensitive components. Routinginto and around junction/gang boxes can, therefore, risk damagingwhatever is in or adjacent to the junction/gang box. Various types ofprotective covers can be installed over wires in the junction/gang boxesprior to drywall installation, but they require additional time andexpense.

Another method requires cutting openings before the drywall is installedby accurately marking and cutting a hole or opening and installing thedrywall. This method requires measuring the location of the mountedjunction/gang box and transferring that measurement to the drywall. Oncethe location is marked on the drywall, the dimensions of thejunction/gang box are used to mark and cut the opening. Accuratemeasuring and cutting with this method are critical, and difficult forthe inexperienced drywall installer.

Oscillating tools can also be used to cut openings in drywall, andoscillating blades with saw teeth are less likely to damage wiresbecause the degree of movement in an oscillating blade is only about twoto five degrees, so they have a short stroke that is less likely todamage wires. Nonetheless, it is preferred to limit contact betweenpower tools and wiring or other electrical and communication componentsinstalled in junction/gang boxes. Further, using an oscillating blade isnot as accurate because oscillating blades do not bear againstjunction/gang boxes edges like router bits do. Thus, although useful,oscillating blades are not always as accurate as router bits, forexample.

One oscillating blade developed for this purpose is an oscillatingdrywall blade sold under the brand name QBIT, part no. SQ1000-S, whichis a box shaped blade having four walls and accurate saw teeth forcutting into the drywall. The box-shaped blade matches the size of asingle junction/gang box, so the opening need not be premeasured.Nonetheless, the oscillating motion of the blade does not align with allof the saw teeth, and the cut is not clean.

Another drywall blade is an oscillating drywall blade sold under thebrand name DREMEL Multi-Max MM435 Drywall Jab Saw, which has arearwardly directed saw blade and a rounded shank. The tip of the sawblade is used to jab drywall for an initial opening and then the sawblade is used to cut the opening, as previously marked on the drywall.This type of blade cuts drywall, but measuring and layout of thejunction/gang box measurements is necessary, and the tool itself.

Thus, there is a need for an oscillating tool blade that quickly andeasily cuts accurate holes in drywall.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To address shortcomings in prior oscillating blades used to cut drywall,the present invention is directed to an oscillating blade having a shankwith a tool mounting end and a blade end; a blade joined to the bladeend and the blade has a predetermined width; and a depth gauge formed inthe shank between the tool mounting end and the blade end, and the depthgauge is substantially registered with the blade to define depth-of-cutmeasurements.

The depth gauge may include a plurality of notches and/or referencenumerals on the shank.

In one embodiment, the shank defines a first axis and a second axisdisposed at an angle to the first axis, and the blade orientation issubstantially perpendicular to the second axis. The blade may be joinedto the second portion and disposed substantially perpendicular to thesecond axis, and the oscillating blade second portion may include thedepth gauge for efficiency of space.

The blade preferably includes a plurality of teeth and is arcuate inshape, but other arrangements and blade types can be used in the presentinvention.

The oscillating blade shank may include a laterally outwardly extendingshank extension to support the blade and the shank extension may benarrower than the shank, and the shank extension may include a piercingtip.

The shank may optionally include a first portion and a second portion,and a shank extension that extends laterally outwardly from the secondportion to define a laterally extending piercing tip.

The oscillating blade may further include a fixed caliper gauge and thecaliper gauge may have a first marking tip joined to the shank; and asecond marking tip jointed to the shank and spaced part from the firstmarking tip to define the fixed caliper gauge. The first caliper tip maybe joined to the shank adjacent to the blade; and the second caliper tipmay be joined to the shank tool mounting end, and spaced apart from thefirst caliper tip to define the marking caliper having a dimension thatmatches the height of a gang box or the width of a double gang box. Thesecond caliper tip may include a piercing tip, and an extreme markingedge spaced apart from the piercing tip to provide accurate indentationmarking on soft materials.

The oscillating blade may further include a reverse direction bladejoined to the shank, and the reverse direction blade may include adagger blade joined to and extending laterally outwardly from the shank.

The dagger blade shank may be joined to the blade shank and include adagger tip joined to the dagger blade shank, and the reverse directionblade may define a plurality of saw teeth joined to the dagger bladeshank. Alternatively, rather than simply being arranged in a reversedirection, the saw teeth can be directed in a direction that issubstantially different from a cutting direction of the blade.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front view of an oscillating tool drywall blade inaccordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the oscillating tool drywall blade ofFIG. 1 ;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the oscillating tool drywall blade of FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of standard electrical junction/gang boxesjuxtaposed with an oscillating tool drywall blade in accordance with thepresent invention; and

FIG. 5 is a detailed view of a caliper point in accordance with thepresent invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the following detailed description of drawings, the same referencenumeral will be used to identify the same or similar item in each of thefigures.

As seen in FIGS. 1 through 3 , there is depicted an oscillating toolblade 20 for use in cutting or otherwise shaping drywall, cement board,gypsum board, plywood, particle board, and other similar sheet materials(referred to generically herein as “drywall”) through which holes mustbe cut to access electrical junction/gang boxes, window frames,plumbing, telephone boxes, and other similar building components. Theillustrated oscillating tool blade 20 includes: a shank 22 having a toolmounting end 24; a blade end 26; a blade 28; a depth gauge 30; a caliperportion 32; and a reverse direction blade 34.

The shank 22 is preferably planar and made of any suitable materialincluding high carbon steel, spring steel, and bi-metal composites, forexample, although it can be made of any suitable material and of anyshape, including having reinforcing ribs formed in it, for example. Theshank 22 tool mounting end 24 is shaped, and perforated to be receivedinto a mating oscillating tool mount. The term “end” as used to describeportions of the oscillating tool blade 20, includes a portion (not justthe edge) of the shank 22 that is engaged with the oscillating tool orthe blade 28 or any other feature described herein. Further, the shapeand design of the tool mounting end 24 can vary within the scope of thisinvention to accommodate any oscillating tool mount design, of whichthere are many. Thus, the illustrated tool mounting end 24 is a genericversion for purposes of illustration only. Similarly, the blade “end” 26is a term used to reference a portion of the shank 22 which supports theblade 28, and the tool mounting end 24 and the blade end 26 can overlapor be the same portion of the oscillating tool blade 20.

The shank 22 tool mounting end 24 in the illustrated embodiment definesa first shank axis 40, and the blade end 26 defines a second blade axis42 that is preferably disposed at an angle to the first shank axis 40,and more preferably at an angle of about 11.1 degrees for theillustrated embodiment. Further, the overall length and width of theshank 22 is determined from considerations including: tool-to-materialclearance, mass balance of the oscillating tool blade 20; and projecteddepth of cut, as examples.

Preferably, the blade 28 is substantially perpendicular to the secondaxis. Such a configuration provides improved balance and stability ofthe blade as it is oscillating, and also improved visibility of theblade 28 during operation, as well as improved access to a sheet ofdrywall for the reverse direction blade 34, as described in more detailbelow. The shank 22 shape can be changed to accommodate otherarrangements of the blade 28 and the reverse direction blade 34,material clearance, and mass balance for minimizing vibration.

The blade 28 is illustrated as a row of saw teeth in a arcuate pattern,but other blade types, such as knife edges and abrasives, can be used.Further, the illustrated arcuate pattern of the blade 28 is preferred,but a straight pattern or even stacked rows of teeth or other cuttingarrangements can be provided, including v-shaped patterns, for example.

The blade 28 is illustrated as being wider than most of the shank 22,but other relative blade 28 widths and shapes can be used in accordancewith the present invention. The shank 22 is illustrated having a shankextension 29 extending outwardly (and to the left), but this specificarrangement is not critical. Nonetheless, by providing a shank extension29, the blade 28 can be used to cut smaller holes and even round holes,and with precise control.

In a preferred embodiment, the dimension of the blade 28 from end-to-endis about 2.15 inches, which is a dimension preselected to match the sizeof a standard electric junction/gang box 70 plus an approximate motionrange of a typical oscillating tool. (See FIG. 4 .) Thus, in operation,the blade 28 will match width 31 (or length dimension 74, if desired) ofa standard electric junction/gang box 70 when it is oscillating in anoscillating tool. Of course, other blade dimensions can be used, butmatching a width of a standard electric junction/gang box 70 simplifiesoperation and improves accuracy without requiring an operator to performcalculations or guess about where the standard electric junction/gangbox 70 walls are located because of the blade dimension and caliperfeature described below.

The shank 22 further includes the depth gauge 30, so that an operatorcan see a depth to which the blade 28 has penetrated the drywall in aplunge cut. The depth gauge 30 is registered from a leading edge of theblade 28, so that an operator can readily determine a depth (orapproximate depth) into the drywall to which the blade 28 haspenetrated. The plunge depth would preferably match the drywallthickness, so that once the blade 28 has penetrated a full thickness ofthe drywall, the operator can withdraw the blade 28. This can be helpfulwhen a hole is being cut after the drywall has been installed to protectwiring, telephone and communications lines, plumbing, and other itemsinstalled behind the drywall, for example.

The depth gauge 30 can be created using various indicators such asmarkings 48 on the shank 22 face, but preferably notches 50 are formedin one or both sides of the shank 22 are used to provide a visualindicator when a desired plunge depth has been reached. Color codeddepth marks or raised blade shank 22 portions can also be provided, forexample, and multiple indicators can be used. The formed notches 50 areparticularly helpful when other markings are covered by dust. Further,the notches 50 are illustrated as being aligned with the markings 48 anddisposed between the tapered points 46 for efficiency, but the depthgauge 30 and the shaving edge 44 can be spaced apart.

The illustrated oscillating tool blade 20 further includes a pair ofshaving edges 44 to make relatively minor or fine adjustments to an edgeor opening in drywall. The shaving edges 44 in the illustratedembodiment include tapered points 46 extending at least partially alonglateral edges of the blade shank 22. The shaving edges 44 can be used tomake minor changes to drywall openings or edges for more precise fitmentand alignment with structural features, concealed electrical/gang boxesor other items.

The shaving edges 44 are illustrated on opposite sides of the shank 22,but only one shaving edge 44 is necessary for this feature, and theshaving edge 44 can be any desired length, and each shaving edgepreferably extends outwardly about 0.078 inches in length. Further, thetapered points 46 can be other shapes, have other spacings, or even beformed on other blade shank 22 edges to fine-tune drywall edges andopenings. Also, the shaving edge 44 is illustrated as spaced aparttapered points 46, but knives, abrasives, or other types of edges can beused in accordance with this invention. Further, as with any blade orcutting edge on the oscillating tool blade 20, the thickness of theshank 22 or blades can be tapered to provide a slightly shaper or moreaggressive cutting edge.

The caliper portion 32 includes a first marking tip 54 joined directlyor indirectly to the shank 22. In the illustrated embodiment, the firstmarking tip 54 is disposed adjacent to the blade 28 or on the shankextension 29 to enable cutting smaller holes or accurate shapes. Thefirst marking tip 54 can also be used as a piercing tip to penetratedrywall by pushing the tip into the drywall.

A second marking tip 58 is spaced apart from the first marking tip 54 todefine a predetermined caliper dimension, which preferably matches aheight dimension of a junction/gang box that is hidden behind or will beexposed through a hole in a sheet of drywall (See FIG. 4 .)

The second marking tip 58 is preferably mounted on a rear shankextension 61 can be used to pierce a paper cladding on the drywall as avisual indicator of one end of a predetermined cutting dimension.Nonetheless, when piercing the paper cladding, a marking tip of any kindcan pierce into the underlying gypsum material, and result in a taperedportion 59 of the second marking tip 58 to widen the visual marking 75in the paper, which can obscure the exact point of the predetermineddimension of the caliper portion 32. The present invention, therefore,uses the second marking tip 58 only to pierce the paper cladding andfurther pressure forces the tapered portion 59 into the drywall to widenthe paper opening until an extreme edge 60 is pressed into the papercladding. It is the paper opening caused by the extreme edge 60 thatindicates one of the end points of the predetermined dimension of thecaliper portion 32. To accomplish this task, the second marking tip 58is spaced inwardly along the caliper portion 32 a length dimension 74 toprovide a relatively simple and accurate dimension mark on the drywall.The length dimension 74 is preferably 3.75 inches, but the exact lengthdimension 74 can vary so long as it serves the function of spacing thesecond marking tip 58 and the extreme edge 60 apart for precise markingin soft materials. In addition, the length dimension 74 approximatelymatches the width of a double wide electric junction/gang box, so aftermarking the width with the caliper portion 32, the blade 28 can be usedto cut the entire width of the electric junction/gang box with twoplunge cuts, for example.

The caliper portion 32 is preferably used when the oscillating tool isnot operating, so that an accurate location of the junction/gang box canbe marked on the drywall using the first marking tip 54 and the secondmarking tip 58. Once marked, the drywall can be accurately cut with theblade 28 in both position and size.

At times, it is preferred or desirable to use an oscillating blade in apull stroke. Accordingly, the reverse direction blade 34 is provided asa lateral extension from the shank 22 on a dagger blade shank 72.Preferably, the reverse direction blade 34 includes a row of saw teeth,but other blade types, including knives and abrasives, are possible. Thereverse direction blade 34 also preferably includes a dagger tip 62 tobe used to puncture the drywall for inserting the reverse directionblade 34 and cutting drywall with a pull stroke. It is preferred thatthe dagger tip 62 be sharp enough to initiate a cut, but robust enoughto avoid damage from contacting other building materials. This featureis also desirable in the tips described above. A reverse blade length ofabout an inch is long enough to cut through most thicknesses of drywalland provide clearance from an oscillating tool head.

It is also desirable to provide the reverse direction blade 34 with therelatively narrow dagger blade shank 72 for cutting smaller and/orcurved openings, such as for pipes or conduits. When such a blade isdesired, the blade can be oriented in any desired direction, includingforward, angled, and reverse (as illustrated).

The arrangement of the oscillating tool blade 20 elements as describedabove provides balance and minimized extraneous vibration during use. Ifone or more of the elements is changed or omitted, or another element isadded, the sizes, shapes, and orientations of other elements can bechanged accordingly.

Also, as stated above, the term “drywall” is to be understood herein toinclude drywall, sheet rock, gypsum board, cement board, particle board,fiber board, plywood, and any sheet-like material, including doors andother wooden panels. Thus, the term “drywall” is not intended to belimiting and, conversely, is intended to include and identify othermaterials, the names of which can be used interchangeably with“drywall.”

The foregoing detailed description is provided for clearness ofunderstanding only, and no unnecessary limitations therefrom should beread into the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. An oscillating blade comprising: a shank having atool mounting end and a blade end, the shank defining a longitudinalshank axis extending from an oscillation axis of the tool mounting end,the longitudinal shank axis defining a longitudinal direction; a firstshank extension extending from the blade end in a first lateraldirection and having a first cutting edge directed in a first cuttingdirection, and the first shank extension defines a first piercing tip; asecond shank extension extending from the blade end in a second lateraldirection and having a second cutting edge directed in a second cuttingdirection and the second shank extension defines a second piercing tip;a notched shaving edge disposed on the blade end; and a depth gaugedisposed on the blade end and indexed with the first cutting edge tocorrespond to a cutting depth of the first cutting edge; wherein thefirst shank extension is spaced from the second shank extension in thelongitudinal direction, and wherein the notched shaving edge is at leastpartially disposed between the first shank extension and the secondshank extension in the longitudinal direction.
 2. The oscillating bladeof claim 1, wherein the first cutting direction is away from the toolmounting end.
 3. The oscillating blade of claim 1, wherein the secondcutting direction is toward the tool mounting end.
 4. The oscillatingblade of claim 1, wherein the first cutting direction is away from thetool mounting end such that the first cutting edge is configured to cutwith a push stroke, and the second cutting direction is toward the toolmounting end such that the second cutting edge is configured to cut witha pull stroke.
 5. The oscillating blade of claim 1, wherein the notchedshaving edge is a first notched shaving edge, and further comprising: asecond notched shaving edge disposed on the blade end at least partiallybetween the first shank extension and the second shank extension in thelongitudinal direction.
 6. The oscillating blade of claim 5, wherein thefirst notched shaving edge is parallel to the second notched shavingedge.
 7. The oscillating blade of claim 1, wherein the notched shavingedge includes a plurality of notches at one-eighth-inch increments. 8.The oscillating blade of claim 1, wherein the shank includes a firstshank portion defining the longitudinal shank axis, and the shankincludes a second shank portion including the first cutting edge and thedepth gauge, the second shank portion defining a push-cutting axis ofthe first cutting edge, wherein the push-cutting axis is transverse tothe longitudinal shank axis, and wherein the depth gauge is configuredto index a plurality of cutting depth values along the push-cuttingaxis.
 9. The oscillating blade of claim 1, wherein the first cuttingedge includes a plurality of teeth.
 10. The oscillating blade of claim1, wherein the first cutting edge is arcuate in shape.
 11. Theoscillating blade of claim 1, wherein the first cutting edge is widerthan the blade end.
 12. The oscillating blade of claim 1, wherein thefirst piercing tip is directed laterally away from the shank.
 13. Theoscillating blade of claim 1, wherein the first piercing tip extendslaterally away from the shank in the first lateral direction, and thesecond piercing tip extends laterally away from the shank in the secondlateral direction different from the first lateral direction.
 14. Theoscillating blade of claim 1, wherein the notched shaving edge includesa plurality of notches, each of the plurality of notches defined betweena pair of parallel walls.
 15. The oscillating blade of claim 1, andfurther comprising: a caliper tip joined to the shank and spaced apartfrom the first piercing tip by a length dimension to define a fixedcaliper gauge, wherein the length dimension is 3.75 inches.
 16. Theoscillating blade of claim 1, and further comprising: a caliper tipjoined to the tool mounting end, and the caliper tip spaced apart fromthe first piercing tip to define a marking caliper.
 17. The oscillatingblade of claim 1, wherein the first piercing tip is adjacent to thefirst cutting edge, the oscillating blade further comprising: a calipertip joined to the tool mounting end and spaced apart from the firstpiercing tip to define a marking caliper, and an extreme marking edgespaced apart from the caliper tip.
 18. The oscillating blade of claim 1,wherein the notched shaving edge comprises: a plurality of points spacedapart by notches.
 19. The oscillating blade of claim 1, wherein thenotched shaving edge comprises: a plurality of tapered points spacedapart by notches.
 20. The oscillating blade of claim 1, wherein theshank, including the first shank extension and the second shankextension, is asymmetrical about the longitudinal shank axis.
 21. Theoscillating blade of claim 1, wherein a width of the first cutting edgeis about 2.15 inches.
 22. An oscillating blade comprising: a shankincluding a tool mounting end configured to be driven about anoscillation axis, the shank further including a blade end, and the shankdefining a longitudinal shank axis extending from the oscillation axisto the blade end, the longitudinal shank axis defining a longitudinaldirection; a first shank extension extending from the blade end in afirst lateral direction and having a first cutting edge directed in afirst cutting direction such that the first cutting edge is configuredto cut with a push stroke; a second shank extension extending from theblade end in a second lateral direction and having a second cutting edgedirected in a second cutting direction such that the second cutting edgeis configured to cut with a pull stroke; a first notched shaving edgedisposed on the blade end; a second notched shaving edge disposed on theblade end parallel to the first notched shaving edge; and a depth gaugedisposed on the blade end between the first notched shaving edge and thesecond notched shaving edge, the depth gauge indexed with the firstcutting edge to correspond to a cutting depth of the first cutting edge;wherein the first shank extension is spaced from the second shankextension in the longitudinal direction, and wherein the first andsecond notched shaving edges are at least partially disposed between thefirst shank extension and the second shank extension in the longitudinaldirection.
 23. An oscillating blade comprising: a shank including a toolmounting end configured to be driven about an oscillation axis, theshank further including a blade end defining a longitudinal shank axisextending from the oscillation axis, the longitudinal shank axisdefining a longitudinal direction; a first shank extension extendingfrom the blade end in a first lateral direction and having a firstcutting edge directed in a first cutting direction such that the firstcutting edge is configured to cut with a push stroke, the first shankextension defining a first piercing tip; a second shank extensionextending from the blade end in a second lateral direction and having asecond cutting edge directed in a second cutting direction such that thesecond cutting edge is configured to cut with a pull stroke, the secondshank extension defining a second piercing tip; a first notched shavingedge disposed on the blade end; a second notched shaving edge disposedon the blade end parallel to the first notched shaving edge; and a depthgauge disposed on the blade end between the first notched shaving edgeand the second notched shaving edge, the depth gauge indexed with thefirst cutting edge to correspond to a cutting depth of the first cuttingedge; wherein the first shank extension is spaced from the second shankextension in the longitudinal direction, and wherein the first andsecond notched shaving edges are at least partially disposed between thefirst shank extension and the second shank extension in the longitudinaldirection.